Hamas to release additional four bodies tomorrow — TV report

Hamas has committed to releasing the bodies of four deceased hostages tomorrow, in addition to the four it is expected to release tonight, Channel 12 reports, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The decision follows “very difficult negotiations” between Israel and mediators that have been underway since yesterday, according to the TV report, during which Israel has accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement by failing to release all the hostages.

Mediators have urged Israel not to torpedo the deal over the dispute and to allow them to continue working with Hamas, while Israel has indicated it is considering several responses if the issue remains unresolved, in addition to its stated threat not to open the Rafah crossing and to limit aid entry, the Hebrew network says.

According to Channel 12, Israel conveyed a message to mediators that it knows Hamas is capable of releasing additional bodies of hostages, saying: “Tell Hamas that they must return those who they know how to return,” adding that Israel knows “exactly” which bodies the group is holding or can access, and warning the terror group “not to play games.”

An Israeli official tells the network, “Hamas has the ability to return most of the deceased hostages. It’s aware of this, and we will insist on it.”